Archive for December, 2008

I had my very first babysitting interview today at the Tremains’ and I was never as nervous as I was in that living room, sitting in front of my potential employers. I have been to regular interviews before but this one was different. For one, they were seeing if they could entrust their only child in my sole care. The young prince they call their son is their pride and joy so finding someone who fits his needs in every way was more like an intimidating CIA interrogation than a conventional interview.

I was very intent on going to this interview with all of my good cards on the table. I arrived 10 minutes early, dressed neatly with my hair in a bun. I introduced myself to my potential employers and tried to come across as confidently as I could without losing any appearance of being a fun and happy person. Inside, my insides were twisting with anxiety but as long as I didn’t let it show, I don’t think they noticed.

When they asked me about my past experience with children, I told them specifically how long I’ve babysat for and how I treated the children, how I dealt with discipline and what kind of babysitting activities I had them do. Not surprisingly, the terms regarding how to look after their only son was relatively explicit and stringent. He was to be fed only vegan food and allowed to watch exactly two hours of educational television while remaining a safe five feet away. Although I never had to deal with a situation like that, I told them that I would be willing to comply to whatever rules they had enstated, within reason.

They’re going to call me shortly and I hope that they’ve since decided that I am the person for this nanny job. That would be quite the encouraging outcome for my first babysitting interview.

When I was young, my mother had an after school babysitter come and look after me. Because I was an only child, she made sure that only someone I approved and got along with would get the job. After many interviews in which I asked questions like, "What is your favorite ice cream flavor?" and "How do you feel about the current president?" (I was a precocious child) I was able to find the perfect after school babysitter.

Her name was Wendy and she was in her early twenties. From what I remember about her physically, she had wavy brown hair, liked to wear a dove pendant necklace and had a penchant for light colored dresses. Her voice was soft enough as to not sound harsh and loud enough to tell me when I needed to get in line. When she had to be stern with me, she was never too strict or austere as a babysitter. She simply goaded me into doing the right thing and taught me when I was wrong. If I had done something commendable, she would give me positive reinforcement with small rewards. For example, once when I had gotten straight A’s on my report card I remember her taking me to my favorite Japanese garden to feed the fish at the Koi fish pond.

I think if I didn’t have Wendy as my after school babysitter, I wouldn’t have been exposed to the many wonderful things that I was. She was the one who introduced me to the great music of Nat King Cole when she played it on the family record player and she was the one who opened me up to the world of poetry by Walt Whitman (of course, back then, I didn’t really get the mature implications). She had great babysitting ideas, and I will forever remember Wendy as my favorite sitter and one of my all-time favorite people.

I am a mother of two young girls and ever since I decided to open up my own business, the dilemma regarding who is to care for my daughters has been relatively taxing. I took it upon myself to start my babysitter search as soon as I knew that I couldn’t bring them to the shop with me everyday.

After speaking to some friends, I narrowed my search to a few outlets: newspaper ads, the Internet and recommendations from people I know. The first means is probably considered by many to be rather archaic. In fact, I don’t even know that many people who physically read the newpaper anymore. As a creature of habit and a resistor to change, I looked up the classifieds section in my daily newspaper to see if any potential babysitter flyers were posted and I saw about ten different ads with numbers included. I called up a couple and spoke directly to the babysitters. Unfortunately, most of their hours weren’t compliable with mine. I require that a babysitter be available for at least 10 hours of the day and I suppose that was a bit too strenuous for many people.

By far, the most accessible method of my babysitter search was going online. With all the resources that are out there, it’s so convenient and you are for sure going to find what you need. The best part about a lot of the web sites–especially the subscription-based ones–is that the babysitters are given a background check and are asked to provide as much information as possible about not only their own skills but also what they require from their employers. This way, I was able to use the search engines to tailor my finds precisely to my needs with babysitting agency reliability. I was able to discover which babysitters were available for ten hours or more and were located within a reasonable distance from my house.

Before I started to work as a babysitter, I decided that my best bet in getting a job was to take a babysitting class and get certified. I signed up for a week-long course that set me back only $35 and allowed me to leave equipped with valuable knowledge that I could use for the children I potentially took care of and also my future children.

The babysitting course, geared towards teenagers, was designed to cover all the basics of caregiving. The first few days were dedicated to the issue of safety. Through discussion and practice, I was able to learn about how to prevent injury, who to call during emergency situations, CPR techniques, basic first aid know-how, and age-appropriate toys and activities for youngsters. Caring for children can often be an unpredictable responsibility and knowing how to react in instances of distress is a must.

The last portion of the babysitting class was used to teach about the qualitative skills of being a good babysitter. It went over the first day of interviewing for a babysitter job to the last day about how to tell your employers you have to move on. In addition, I also learned important professional leadership tips and advice on how to make sound, responsible decisions. Anyone who has ever babysat before knows that this kind of information is just as important as knowing how to keep the child secure and away from harm.

At the end of my course, after I passed all my chapter quizzes and mastery exam, I received my much coveted "Babysitter Class Certificate" that now hangs in above my mirror, reminding me everyday that I am every inch the capable evening and weekend babysitter that I want to be.

When I graduated college with my degree in Anthropology, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I was a young and naive girl of twenty. All I knew was that I needed to continue to feed myself while paying rent. For that summer, I took on the hefty job as a babysitter in New York. It will be an experience that I will always remember–for better or worse.

Not long after I posted my babysitter flyers around the city, people immediately started to call me. Some wanted me to take care of their miniature Yorkies which I explained was not apart of my job description and others wanted me to watch their elderly parents–also not apart of my arsenal of skills. Finally, a woman who lived on Lexington Avenue rang and said that if I was willing, she had a four year old son who needed to be looked after by a reliable and caring nanny. I excitedly agreed after she promised to pay me $20 an hour.

In short, the my time there was hell. Not only was the mother rude to me but she was disconnected from her child completely. If I had any questions, she would tell me to figure it out on my own. Her son was not any better. When I would accompany him on his piano lessons on Park Avenue, he would throw tantrums and scream so loud that the driver would be forced to let us off earlier. Once, he purposefully tripped me while I was running around the house, looking for him. I had bruises on both my knees for a week. I know that I was desparate for money but there had to be a limit and I was well past it with this babysitting gig. I called in the next day to terminate my employment as the newest most aggravated babysitter in new york.

I read a "Wired" article recently that spoke about the new phenomenon of allowing your children to be "watched" by robot babysitters. Apparently, these sophisticated technologically engineered inventions can do anything–from making conversation and singing songs to telling jokes and giving quizzes. Some models can even recognize faces and call upon the children when they stray.

Although they are marketed towards the busy parents who doesn’t have time to stay with their child constantly, these personal robot babysitters probably shouldn’t be used as a complete substitute to a real caregiver. It can’t feed or cloth your child; it can only offer it hours of attention and entertainment. They are more engaging than television or video games but most likely less capable than a parent or human babysitting help.

Personally, I’m not sure if I can completely trust any kind of personal robot sitter nanny to take care of my child. Something about their projector beam eyes makes me wary. At the same time, I wouldn’t be opposed to using one for when I’m in the kitchen and my child is in the next room. If anything, it could be a really high-tech toy.

I have stayed home with my son Benjamin until he turned 2 and now that I have decided to re-enter the working force, my husband and I have come upon quite the dilemma. Since we don’t have any relatives who live nearby that can take care of Ben, I have been contemplating about whether I should send him to a daycare or use a babysitter service instead. There are several pros and cons to each and we should definitely explore them before we make any decision.

The first option, the daycare, is something that many of my friends use. They simply drop them off at a daycare near their workplace and when the work day is over, they pick them back up. Daycares generally operate a bit like a classroom. They have one babysitter to every fifteen or so children. Sometimes, it’s more or less–depending on the daycare. They have lunch, nap time, and play time. There are also other parts of the daily routine that make the children feel comfortable. Although safety seems to be strictly enforced, my only concern is with hygiene. Oftentimes, with that many children, cleanliness can be difficult. To maintain an environment that is completely germ-free is a must but chances are my Benjamin would probably be exposed to more illnesses than I would think.

The second option is using nanny services. This choice seems to be more reasonable for children who have never been in the daycare setting before. Babysitters from a babysitter service are just as well-trained, if not better, than a daycare caregiver. They are trained to deal with your child in a more intimate setting rather than a loud room of ten other children. Hiring someone from a babysitter service also allows you to pick precisely the kind of person you want to watch your child. Ultimately, in both cases, you want people who not only know the general rules for childcare but also your specific rules.

I am 17 years old and have been on the babysitter job market for almost half a year now. I suppose that the economy is not doing so swell and it trickles down to all aspects of the career field. Still, I can’t help but feel discouraged when I get no phone calls or walk by the bulletin boards where I posted my babysitter ads and see that no one has even bothered to rip off one of the tabs.

Most people I know would say that I am every bit qualified to be a good babysitter. I have two younger siblings and often had the task of watching over them. Although my parents never paid me for my babysitting, since it was considered an obligatory chore anyway, I always did an excellent job. I wasn’t an indifferent or even cruel babysitter to my brother and sister. I would engage them in educational games and would make even the most mundane activities fun. I knew that the key to keeping their attention away from the television was to entertain them.

Since then, I have become CPR certified in the case that any future employers would require that of me. I also just recently received my driver’s license and am an absolutely careful and safe driver. I’ve even driven on the freeway several times! I am an quick learner and am in the process of apprenticing with my mother while she cooks so I can get trained myself. All of these qualifications and babysitting classes don’t seem to make a difference, however.

There is something so liberating about earning your own money and I want to be able to do that. If no one hires me as a babysitter, I’m not sure how I can achieve that independence.

I have a case for your babysitter wanted blog. I really need a great babysitter and I need her today! I do not want to sound desperate but, to be perfectly honest, my kids try to scare away every babysitter that I hire. Many of these girls are incredibly sweet but they always refuse to accept babysit again after just a few hours! I have tried hard to get them to give me a reason but they never say a word and my three boys always deny any foul play. They are tricky though and they certainly love the attention so I would not be surprised if they just act so obnoxious that they pay is not worth it for the sitter!

I need a sitter that is not only brave enough to take on my three boys but someone who might actually earn their respect and admiration! They are always perfect angels around me but I would not put it past them to turn into little crazy devils the second my car leaves the driveway. If you can find a babysitter that is up to the challenge, please contact me right away!

I know what it takes to be a fantastic babysitter. My skills are so good that all my employers suggested that I look into taking a nanny job. I did some research and I liked what a nanny job entailed; many people who need a nanny hire a live-in nanny. No commute to work? Sign me up! You also get to paid to take care of children all day. Paid to play? Sounds great to me! It is clear that I am interested in a nanny job, but now I must prove to you why I am perfect for it.

I am a descendent of Mary Poppins! Need I say more? The tales of my great-aunt are quite famous and most people believe that she is a work of fiction but she is not! I even own her famous carpetbag, complete with the full set of furniture, magical traveling umbrella, and that special medicine of hers. My magical skills might not be as developed as hers were but they are impressive. I will do my best to take care of the children. bring the family closer together, and have some adventures along the way! If you have an available nanny job, just give me a call!